Domino
by An Angry Welshie
Summary: Ellie, a battered and broken girl, with Joel to guide her, has a second chance but will she accept it and is this new life as promising as it seems? Follow Ellie as she experiences trust, friendship, love, betrayal and some steamy passion on the side. Rated M for loads of smut, trigger warnings-rape, substance abuse, characters with mental disorders, violence and foul language.
1. Chapter 1

**Hiya bois bach. I've had this story idea FOREVER I just haven't been in a great place to write it. If anything, I'm in an even worse place now but I need something to distract myself. I fear that if I don't write this story then I might explode.**

 **This story focuses on Ellie and how she handles 'normal life' in Jacksonville with Joel as a father figure. It focuses on how she accepts love in her life in these hard times blah blah blah. There is going to be an OC that's quite an important character. I want to introduce them as soon as possible but I don't want the introduction to seem forced.**

 **This story contains an autistic character. I will do my very best to represent her as accurately as possible. I myself have an autistic brother and I run a support group for autistic people so I'm pretty sure I won't offend anyone. If in any way you are offended just private message me and we can have a chat :)**

 **This story is rated M for obvious reasons. Trigger warning, this story contains rape, substance abuse, mental illness. Smut in later chapters (Ellie will be involved) and loads of swearing because that's the Ellie we all know and love. Ellie is going to be bi in this story (Not saying she's bi in the game, just in my version) There will also be a few other members from the LGBT community. If you are homophobic and trying to get help, I'm proud. If you are homophobic and are an ass to LGBT people then piss off.**

 **Remember people that English isn't my first language and unfortunately, I don't have a beta so you must excuse any spelling/ grammar errors. I am also British so excuse any different terminology, I will probably use words like sofa instead of _couch_ and boot instead of _trunk_. I'll try and get the American characters to speak American but I make no promises.**

 **This is not. I repeat NOT a Joel/Ellie fic caus just…. cringe**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing from the game**

* * *

In the six months that Ellie had been in Jacksonville she had only made a strong connection with one person. Well. Domino was a black and white horse that Ellie had volunteered to take care of. He stayed in a 'stable' behind the house that her and Joel shared.

fter Ellie had declared her dislike for the emptiness of their big garden, Joel had requested a structure be built. When he asked Tommy, he was thinking of something like a garden shed or a workshop. It was Maria's idea to build the stable, remembering Ellies love for the horses and the lack of space they had to keep them.

The stable also housed big gray cat that Ellie insisted they call Gizmo. Gizmo needed little taking care of, so Ellie spent her time grooming Domino and playing with the gray cat's kittens. She sat with the calm horse now. She was telling him about her day, how she had scouted the perimeter with Joel and they came across a group of bandits. They were becoming an issue. It was the first time that Joel and Ellie had fought together for what seemed like year.

Ellie spoke with a shine in her green eyes as she recalled how Joel had used a smoke bomb to distract the bandits. The horse listened patiently, chewing on the hay that Ellie had just replaced.

She was sat on a stool sharpening her flip knife. She had grown a fair bit after they arrived Jacksonville. She was now about the same height as Joel, give or take a few inches, much to his dismay. Domino was one of the smaller horses, he was however the fastest.

"Do you think that the hunters will attack again?" Ellies voice is quiet. "What do you think they would do to this place?" Ellie thought about the horses. The hunters would keep the horses, they might to care for them as well as they do though. She thought of the children that spend the day roaming the safe streets of Jacksonville, running, playing. If the hunters took over there would be no children running the streets. Hunters don't keep children around.

For a few moments Ellie wondered where the hunters really do keep their children. Was there some big camp with hundreds of children being taught that ruthlessness is the way to survive. Teaching them to kill or be killed.

Ellie was so caught up in her own thoughts that she didn't notice Joel in the entrance of the stable. When she does notice, she lets out a small start of surprise.

"You alright kiddo?" He stood slumped against the doorframe, a bandage wrapped tightly around a stab wound on his left arm. She nodded, standing and moving closer towards him.

"How's Julie?" She asked. Julie was a short, slim woman with fine ginger hair. She was far from a fighter and only went along with them because she wanted to look for any car parts. When the first shot was fired, it hit her in the leg and she fell like a sack of potatoes. Ellie had had to drag her behind a car wreckage for cover.

Julie wasn't used to violence or pain. Although she was a lovely person that was always kind to her, Ellie didn't understand why Joel liked her so much.

"She's a bit shaken but she'll be fine."

"How are you feeling?" Elli quickly glanced to his arm and the few cuts on his face.

"A bit sore but… I'll live." Ellie nodded. "C'mon. We're eating at Tommy's tonight. You better get changed." Ellie glanced down at her clothes. A pair of jeans and a long-sleeved t-shirt. Her jeans where covered in mud from where she fell during the fight, the ends of her sleeves where soaked in blood.

With a huff Ellie stalked out of the stable, through the back door, up the stairs, past the spare bedroom into her room. She had chosen the smallest out of the three rooms. It wasn't even that small. The double bed and wardrobe left little space for anything else but she liked it that way.

Unlike any other teenage girl's room, Ellies was neat. Her walls clean of any posters. All her clothes remained folded in her wardrobe. She didn't have many personal items, the few she did own stayed in her backpack that was kept at the bottom of her wardrobe. On the side of her big bed was a small nightstand. On it stood a small lamp and an old, tattered pun book.

* * *

It didn't take Joel long to recover from his minor injuries and he was back on scouting duty in less than a week. Joel didn't really have a set job, he did whatever needed to be done. He hadn't been doing it long but the original guy, Phil, and his wife had a baby so he's spending as much time as possible with her.

Ellie and the other kids at the small Jacksonville school didn't mix very well. Whenever anyone said the smallest of insults she would turn aggressive and start throwing fists. Instead she spent her days with Joel, he taught her what he knew (that he admitted wasn't much) and she got to spend her time helping him work.

She was with him now. There had been a rise in the number of infected seen in the area so they had been sent to see if they could dispose of any. They were probably about half a mile from Jacksonville, they'd only been out for two hours and already killed a dozen runners and four clickers.

"Jesus. I swear they respawn or something." Joel commented. Puzzled, Ellie looked at him.

"Respawn?" She asked, unfamiliar with the word. They had stopped at a cluster of wrecked cars, rummaging through the wreckage for anything useful. Joel had found a pack of cigarettes and was twiddling an unlit one between his fingers.

"Yeah, when we used to play videogames. The enemy would appear out of nowhere and attack you." Ellie, counting her remaining ammunition, shrugged with a sigh.

"You lived in a strange time." She had nine bullets for her pistol and three rounds for her rifle, they wouldn't last long. "What did you do?"

"Huh?" Joel looked puzzled at the girl. He'd pocketed the packet off cigarettes

"Before the world went to shit. What did you do? Like, what job did you have?" She sat on the bonnet of car, the tips of her toes touching the floor. She'd put back her revolver into her pack and was flicking the safety on and off on her pistol. Joel sat down beside her.

"Well, I was…" He was cut off by a sharp rustling in the bushes. In an instant the two were on their feet. Ellie with her pistol raised and Joel holding up his shotgun.

"I don't think it's an infected." Ellie whispered. "Hunter?"

"Hunters would've attacked by now…" Though he didn't sound sure. Slowly, soundlessly, he picked up a nearby bottle. He drew his arm back and threw it at the bush.

A small figure tumbled from it making noises of discomfort. The two quickly noticed that this figure was one of a child. The child was skinny. Very skinny. Even through its baggy clothes Ellie could count ribs. It was difficult to distinguish if it was a boy or a girl. The child had short hair, so short that Ellie couldn't see it's color. The child's face was covered with mud and dirt.

Dumbfounded, neither Ellie nor Joel said anything. The child moved first, scrambling to its feet. Ellie could see clearer now. It was a girl. About seven, Ellie thought.

Fear filled the girl's eyes yet she said nothing.

"Hey there." Joel's voice was so quiet that Ellie wasn't sure that the girl heard him. "What's your name sweetie?" Joel had lowered his gun but kept aa firm grip. The girl said nothing. She seemed to be too shocked to move. Her eyes darted to everywhere but their faces. The girl's eyes where blue.

Joel and Ellie glanced at each other. Neither one of them new what to do. The girl didn't move. She didn't speak. She merely stood there. Her eyes darting from place to place. It felt like forever until anyone moved. It was Joel, taking a step towards her. She stepped back nervously.

Ellie understood the girls fear. In this world it was hard to trust anyone. Joel knelt, taking off his backpack. From it he grabbed a cereal bar. He undid the wrapper and held it out to the girl. The girl stared at it for a long time, unmoving.

She shuffled forwards. A small bit at a time. When she took it, she did so quickly, her hand darting out and snatching the snack. After inspecting it she scoffed it down as if she hadn't eaten in days. Ellie suspected that that was the case.

"More." The girls voice was shaky and quiet. Joel didn't have anything else in his bag, he didn't tell the girl that though.

"I'll give you more if you answer some questions." His voice was gentle but his tone was stern. The girl reluctantly nodded. She was staring at Joel's bag, probably wondering if she could grab it and make a run for it.

"What's your name?" Joel was now sitting, his legs crossed. He no longer held his gun. Ellie had a tight grip on hers, she didn't look at the girl but studied their surroundings.

There weren't many trees or bushes, it would be difficult for bandits to ambush them here. Did the girl have a weapon on her? No, she couldn't possibly. She didn't have any bags and her baggy clothes hugged her body. It was as if she'd fallen in a river.

"Kara." The girl had a strange voice. Her syllables where broken up and she had an accent that Ellie couldn't quite pinpoint.

"Ok Kara… Are you alone?"

"No. Yes." She didn't seem quite sure what the answer was. She seemed to think very hard and she said every word as if it drained her.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Ellie had never seen Joel with a young child before. It was strange. He was… nicer? Less rough.

Kara's face contorted with concentration.

"Cleo." She stuttered. "Infected. Running Shouting. Falling. Water." It seemed that she couldn't make a sentence. Joel nodded. Did he understand what she said? Ellie could barely hear her, let alone interpret her words.

Joel stood up. "So, this Cleo… You know where she is?" The girl looked towards the horizon. East, west then south.

"No." She said defeated. She had her head hung low. Joel nodded slowly. Joel walked over to where Ellie was leaning against the bonnet of a car. Kara stayed still, her head hung low.

"I say we take her back to Jacksonville." Joel said quietly. He let out a sigh. "We uh. We look after her. I'm sure we can find someone to look after her."

"What?! Are you crazy? We don't know this girl. She could be a spy or something." Ellie retorted.

"She's only a child Ellie. A little girl. We can't leave her here." Joel protested.

"Humph. Fine." Ellie said, pushing herself off the car and walking towards the girl. "But if she kills us in our sleep. I am holding you responsible."

* * *

Kara said a little more on the car ride back. Turns out she cools speak full sentences just… in a different language. Not very useful when asking for information. She seemed to understand English just fine and she could grasp big words but failed to string them together into a sentence.

"So, Kara." Ellie was sitting next to her in the back of the car, sitting sideways in her seat to face her, while the young girl stared out of the window. "How old are you?"

Instead of speaking, Kara held out all ten of her fingers. Ten?! She looked barely seven. She was extremely short and frail. Although her eyes didn't hold much innocence.

"Was it just you and this Cleo girl?" Ellie asked. Kara nodded. "How old is she?"

"Seventeen." She seemed to deliberately ignore the first question. Ellie nodded.

"Is she dead?"

"Ellie!" Joel said sharply. Kara continued to stare out of the window.

"Probably." No one spoke after that.

* * *

"I couldn't just leave her there Tommy." Joel was in his brother's living room. Ellie, Kara and Maria where in the kitchen attached. The older woman was making sandwiches for the girls. Ellie was still very suspicious of Kara and looked at her with scrutiny in her gaze.

"We don't know this girl… What if she was with the bandits? What if whoever she was with comes looking for her?" He was leaning against the back of a chair, opposite to the one Joel was sitting on.

"She said that, before, she was with a girl called Cleo and that she's probably dead."

"But-"

"You said the population needed to grow!"

"I was thinking, adult population."

"She's still a person."

"That can't speak English…"

"She can. Just, not very well." Tommy sighed.

"Who will look after her?"

"I will." He said without a moment's hesitation.

"What?!" Came Ellie's voice from the kitchen.

"She'll live with us." Ellie walked towards Joel.

"But she…" Ellie began.

"She's staying with us and that's final." Joel rarely raised his voice so Ellie decided not to push him. Ellie wasn't the only one unhappy with the new arrival, Tommy didn't seem too pleased. However, Maria had taken a liking to the girl.

* * *

Joel knew that Ellie wasn't too keen on their new housemate. He thought that it would be good for her. She needed someone to relate to. Someone from the outside. Someone closer to her age he'd hoped someone perhaps closer to her age but hey, you can't have everything.

One of Tommy's conditions for Kara staying was that she had to get checked in the infirmary. Joel wasn't sure if it was for. Check for bites? Maybe. Kara seemed wary of everything. As she'd walked into the infirmary she'd squinted, looking away from the bright light. Her eyes constantly darted from one person to another, not looking at them for too long and never looking them in the eyes.

Even as she sat on the table, being checked over by Cameron she studied the room. Ellie stood in the corner of the room leaning against the wall. Cameron looked a tremendously similar to his brother Luke. A boy that Ellie had been messing around with…

Joel didn't know about Luke. Obviously. Or he probably wouldn't be breathing. Luke wasn't necessarily very bright or very brave but he was tall and muscular. He had dark skin with equally dark eyes. His hair was jet black and came down to his shoulders in thick waves. Luke was about a year older than her.

"Where's your brother?" Ellie asked nonchalantly. Cameron looked up briefly before answering.

"At the house with the others." He returned to Joel with a worried look.

"I'm off." Ellie pushed away from the wall and walked out of the room before Joel could protest.

"Hey, sweetie. I'm going to have to have a private chat with Joel here for a minute. In private. We'll be back in a few minutes. We'll be just outside the door. Is that ok?" Kara nodded slowly.

Cameron walked quickly outside of the room with Joel on his heels. He sighed.

"She isn't infected, which is good. But she is in very bad condition. She should be about 70 pounds but she's only about 45 lbs. She's extremely weak. She has three broken ribs and a dislocated shoulder. And from what I can gather, she's autistic."

"Autistic?" Joel said surprised.

"Yes. High functioning but… It's there."

"How does that affect her though?"

"Um. She hasn't got any learning difficulties, in fact she's extremely intelligent, she just can't express it. She can't interpret other's facial expressions properly. She's always looking around, studying people, if you haven't noticed she won't look people in the eyes." Joel was very confused.

"Notice how she's almost always squinting?" Cameron pointed at her through the small glass window. Joel nodded slightly. "It's because of the light. Her brain is making it seem brighter than it is. She doesn't like loud noises. Notice how she's constantly shifting." Again, Joel nodded. "She doesn't like the metal table. Her senses are super sensitive. It's a wonder how she survived this long on her own."

"She uh-she wasn't on her own. There was someone else, a girl, Cleo. She looked after her. But we found her alone. It's strange that she came with us so willingly…"

"Not really." Cameron replied. "I guess she thought you were her best bet. You offered food and protection. She seems to also have gone through some serious trauma."

"Who hasn't" Joel replied.

* * *

Luke's house was close to the infirmary, a three-minute walk through wide roads and narrow back streets. It was very different to Boston. Here in Jacksonville there was no curfew. Here in Jacksonville she didn't need to constantly check over her shoulder to ensure that no one was following her. Here in Jacksonville she was safe.

Ellie rarely entered Luke's house through the front door. She climbed the scaffolding up to his bedroom window. He was sitting on his bed reading a comic as she'd expected. She lightly tapped on the window.

Luke smiled as he dropped the comic, moved across the room and opened the window.

"Hey beautiful." He said in a deep voice leaning in and giving her a peck on her fore head. "Hey handsome." She smiled. He was indeed handsome. His dark hair was messed up from rolling around in bed. His brown eyes sparkled, his dark skin stretched tight over big muscles. They could easily be seen through his grey t-shirt.

She easily climbed through the window and flumped down onto his double bed. She rolled onto her front and picked up the comic Luke had been reading.

"Deadpool…" She read slowly. "Sounds lame." Luke scoffed. "Where'd you get this one?" The older boy's eyes showed a flash of panic, it was so sudden that Ellie believed she might've imagined it. He sat down next to her and rubbed the back of her neck in discomfort.

"I uh-got it from Megan." Ellie raised her eyebrow. She wasn't surprised.

"Oh. I didn't realize she liked comics." Ellie said carefully.

"Yeah, it was weird. We didn't speak much I guess it was a peace offering." Ellie moved to sit by him.

"From what I hear, you two have been talking a lot." Luke sighed.

"Ellie." He sounded weak.

"Why would you sleep with her?" She didn't seem angry. This made Luke nervous. He would've been less scared if she'd shouted.

"Look babe…. I'm… I'm sorry. It was a one-time thing. We were both drunk. I-I. I'm sorry." She nodded slowly. She wished she could say that she was surprised but she wasn't. She wished she could be angry but she wasn't. It was her own fault after all. She'd been constantly teasing him but never letting him have what he wanted.

She hadn't slept with him yet. She hadn't slept with anyone. She was sick of being the innocent little girl. She wasn't a child. Her body had matured and she'd killed more people than most of the other teenagers in the town. She shouldn't still be a virgin she thought. Most of the other fifteen-year-old girls weren't virgins.

Was Luke the best person to give her virginity to? She didn't love him but she found him very attractive. At least he wasn't a murderer…or a cannibal…or a pedophile. He was a safe bet.

She stood abruptly and walked towards his bedroom door and locked it, she shut the window and closed the blinds. The room was dark but they could still see each other. Luke was still sitting on the bed. He was quietly watching her.

Ellie took a deep breath and moved towards him. She straddled his lap. Her heart was beating one thousand miles an hour but her face showed confidence. She placed her hands under Luke's chin and lifted it so that their eyes met.

She pulled his face forwards, deliberately and met his lips for a slow, deep kiss. They'd kissed before, this was nothing new. Ellie wanted more. She ran her hands through his hair, knotting her fingers. Luke kept his hands to his side, weary of what might come. Ellie pulled away.

She grabbed the bottom of her top and pulled it over her head. She'd dreaded this moment and had overthought it loads in her head. He would see her bite mark. In anticipation of this event she'd covered it in a bandage and wasn't scared to show the rest of her body.

"Put your hands on me." She whispered into his ear then sucked on his earlobe. It didn't take long for the boy to comply, quickly grasping at her waist.

She noticed quickly that he was very…grabby. His hands rubbed and groped whatever skin they could find. It was almost uncomfortable. His massive hands fondled at her breasts through her bra and she wondered how any girl could enjoy this.

This wasn't something she intended to enjoy. She intended to prove a point. Prove that she was worth his affection. Prove that she can make him moan.

She pulled up his top and ran her hand along his chest. Her mind was racing. Was he enjoying this? There was no doubt that he was enjoying it but she wanted him to worship her. She wanted to prove to him that she could make him feel more pleasure than _Megan_.

She started to move her hips instinctively. Grinding against a spot that made him moan. Yes! That's what she wanted. She drank up his moans as if they gave her life. She needed more. She moved her mouth from his and down to his neck.

She kissed down his neck until she found his pulse point. When she found it, she began sucking and nipping, drawing out a shuddered gasp from the boy. She moved her hips faster and harder and he joined, rocking at the pace she set.

Ellie pulled his top over his head and discarded it to the side, her hands running free over his chest and back. He was extremely muscular and she could feel him shudder beneath her. What did boys like. They liked to feel powerful. They liked to be in control. They liked to be on top.

She rolled off him so that she was lying on her back. She slipped her bra off to expose her developed chest. His eyes glazed over and a primal desire filled them. For a moment Ellie was scared. _No. He won't hurt me._

She grabbed his hand and pulled him over her. Resting his hand over her breast. He began to kiss her neck. Moving lower and lower. When his mouth reached her chest, he did something that Ellie didn't expect. He rolled his tongue across her nipple, sending a sensation that caused her to arch her back. A small shriek escaped her mouth. He grinned at this.

"You like that baby?" _Dirty talk, seriously?!_ He continued to roll his tongue across her, moving swiftly. His hands were groping her backside. Squeezing painfully. She wasn't 100% sure what was happening but he seemed to be enjoying it.

Luke moved up from her mouth and kissed her. His hand trailed lower sliding under the waistband of her jeans. He slid the material of her panties to the side and ran a strong finger along her folds. Ellie moaned. She didn't think it could feel this good.

"Tell me what you want baby." Ellie internally rolled her eyes. What did she want? She didn't know. This wasn't for her. This was to prove that she was no longer a child. This was to prove that she could bring a boy, no a man, pleasure.

She leaned in close to his ear as his fingers continued to stroke her.

"I want you inside me." That was all he needed.

* * *

 **And that's it folks for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed and please, please, PLEASE leave a nice review, they make me smile. I welcome constructive criticism, just don't be an ass about it. I will be open to suggestions while writing this story. I have it mostly planned out but if you have any ideas or questions then just pm me :) I'll update as often as I can so please don't bug me about it.** **Hwyl Fawr x**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hiya bois bach. I only just published the last chapter but I take aaaaages to write a chapter so I thought that it would be best for me to start writing it now, therefore I haven't read any reviews yet. As I said before There will be a few OC's that will be real important to this story so please accept them and love them the same way we love Ellie and Joel. I will try and make them interesting. Also, I'd like to say now that this won't be an Ellie/Luke fic so don't get to attached to him.**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing from the game**

* * *

Ellie lay awake, naked beneath the covers of Luke's bed. He was asleep beside her, his arm draped across her waist. She was very sore. She could tell that Luke didn't want to hurt her, he wasn't necessarily gentle though. His moans where loud and frequent, hers not so often.

 _How could any girl enjoy this?_ She'd thought the entire time. Sure, every few thrusts her partner would hit a spot that made her feel…something. It didn't last long. After a few minutes Luke's thrust had become jagged and uneven until he finally pulled out before finishing inside of her.

She didn't really feel much more different as she'd hoped. She thought that she would finally feel like a woman. Instead she felt like a girl that had just been fucked. It wasn't a pleasant feeling.

She'd been at Luke's for about three hours and the sun was beginning to set. Joel would be mad at her. She shuffled around so that she was facing him. She kissed his forehead and lightly shook his shoulder.

"Hey." She said lightly. He stirred. "Hey, let go of me. I've got to go." Luke made a groan of complaint but let go anyway. She quickly got out of the bed and collected her clothes. _How did my socks end up over here?_ She thought grabbing them from the ceiling fan.

She left the way she came in, through the window. She jumped out without so much as a 'goodbye' from Luke.

* * *

Kara was sitting in the corner of the living room on the floor. She was clutching onto the small satchel, one that she was found with. A few things from it had been confiscated, a butterfly knife, several rifle bullets and a scissor blade. She was rocking ever so slightly and her hands twisted together in a way that Joel thought would have been painful.

She was muttering,quickly, in a language that Joel didn't understand. He only heard a few words.

"Hermano… Herir… Pesadilla… Infectado… Asesinado… Muerto…Solo…No puedo confiar en ellos…" Joel was standing in the kitchen with Julie, they were both holding a mug of coffee in their hands, watching the young girl.

"And you just decided to look after her?" She asked. Her voice was very soft, if he weren't standing so close Joel wouldn't have heard her. "She must be terrified… the poor thing. Being all alone, in a strange place. I don't think that I would handle it." She took a sip of her coffee.

It was true. As kind and intelligent as she was, Julie wasn't a fighter. She didn't have the emotional strength to go through something like that. She'd always lived in quarantine zones and had never seen an infected… however Joel didn't hold it against her.

He would usually be frustrated with those ignorant people. _How can they be so blind?_ He would think to himself. But she was different. Although she hadn't seen any infected she'd watched disasters from a distance and respected the danger they held.

Although she couldn't fight and didn't fully understand the world around her she still found ways to contribute. What she lacked in fighting she made up for in engineering. She fixed up most of the cars that they had and she helped fix the power when he first went there.

The met at one of the meetings, a gathering they held to introduce new people, and became fast friends. Bonding over their love for music and the fact that they both had 'annoying' little brothers, although Julie's brother was nearly twenty years younger than her.

Soon after meeting Joel began having romantic feelings for her, although he wouldn't admit it to anyone. However, he quickly dismissed them due to the nine-year age gap and the end of the world.

Joel placed his mug back on the counter, he turned to look at Julie and sighed. "What am I going to do?"

"I guess you're going to look after her…" She said with a shrug. "Make her feel safe and welcome." A pause. "Are you going to try and find the people that she was with?" Joel shook his head.

"You know, I haven't even thought about that part yet. I mean… she was obviously with someone. But she seems to think that they're dead. Her name was Cleo. She keeps repeating it along with her other gibberish." He sat down at the breakfast bar rubbing his temples. "I was hoping that Ellie would take a liking to her but she hasn't been home for hours."

Julie seemed to be considering something. She was listening intently to Kara's broken words.

"Perdió… Cleo… Bebé…"

"I know what she's saying…" Julie whispered to Joel. "I studied Spanish while I was in college. I haven't spoken it in years but I get the just." Joel perked up in his seat.

"Well, what is she saying?" He asked. She shook her head.

"I'm not quite sure... She speaks Spanish like she does English, with broken words and phrases." She walked around the breakfast bar towards Kara and knelt about three feet away from her.

"Hola cariño." She said in a sweet voice. Kara stopped muttering. Her eyes fixed onto Julie's hair, unable to look her in the eyes. "Mi nombre es Julie…" She spoke slowly. Either to soothe the girl or because she herself wasn't sure if she was saying the words right. "¿Estas bien? ¿Tienes miedo?"

Kara shook her head, her jaw set. "¿Quieres algo?" Again, Kara shook her head. Julie sighed and stood up and walked towards Joel. "Nothing. She doesn't want to open up. She's trying to look brave.

"Makes sence." Joel replied. They all heard the front door open. Ellie ran through the corridor and up the stairs. Joel let out another sigh and rubbed his temples.

"She still not opening up?" Julie asked tapping her mug. Joel shook his head.

"I don't know what's gotten into her lately."

"Just give her time and space."

"I've given her enough space to last a lifetime."

"She's probably just going through something."

* * *

She rubbed her hand along her forehead, collecting the droplets of sweat. She narrowed her blue eyes and looked along the horizon line. She focused on every sound around her.

The trees rustling. Birds chirping. The water of the river flowing. No gunshots. No screams. No infected. Nevertheless, her hand lay resting on the gun in her belt.

Her legs ached from the running and her feet hurt from wearing the too small sneakers. She inspected the wound on her upper arm. Glass, she concluded. No bites from the infected.

"How long are we going to have to walk?" Noah whined. She walked towards the small boy and picked him up so that he sat on her hip. She ran her hand affectionately over the top of his head.

"However long it takes to find some shelter." She said soothingly.

"What about that building over there Cleo?" He asked. Cleo looked over but then shook her head.

"The windows and doors in that place are busted babs… Infected would be able to get in." She explained. Noah looked confused for a moment before nodding. She placed him on the floor and began to walk in the direction of a far-off building.

"Cleo…" Noah said timidly.

"Yeah babs?" She asked holding out her hand.

"Do you think that Kara is alive?" Cleo stood silent. She didn't think that her sister was alive, but she didn't want to crush the boy.

"Of course, babs. She's a smart girl. I'm sure she's fine. We'll find her soon."

* * *

 **Yeah, yeah, I know it's a short chapter but I didn't want you guys to wait that long. Sorry if the Spanish is wrong, I don't speak it and used the internet. I know that the internet is untrustworthy which is why they only speak a few words at a time. Anyway…. Please leave a review to remind me to update plus they make me smile. (the nice ones of course) Hwyl fawr pobl x**


End file.
